Undine
by ShipMistress
Summary: Modern AU. Moving to the seaside had always been their dream. Never had they thought of what might await them. Or rather... who... Contains bisexuality, polyamory, and hopefully feels. Hicret with eventually Hicretstrid.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: So, I had this plot bunny the other day. This is... I don't know; it was planned as a drabble to get rid of the plot bunny, but by now I have 5 pages of further notes, still ongoing.**

 ** _This will happen!_**

 **Eventually...**

 **. o O o .**

He couldn't say what it was.

Just that there was _something._ Something pulling at him, calling him…

Hiccup stood atop the high beach cliff and gazed out over the churning sea. The sky was grey, with heavy clouds promising rain soon, and the ocean before him had the same metallic sheen, with high waves and white spray that churned constantly.

And something was _calling_ him.

It was like something tugging at his very soul, like a faint fragrance reminding him of his childhood, like an inaudible melody on the wind. Intangible but powerful.

Hiccup watched the waves toss and churn in an incomprehensible rhythm, the sea foam thrashing about atop the grey waves, their motions hypnotic, the smell of the salty air intoxicating, the rush of the wind invigorating. It was captivating.

…

Hiccup jumped as a heavy jacket fell around his shoulders, followed by a pair of strong arms.

"What are you still doing out here?" Eret asked, rubbing warmth back into his cold arms. "Mrs. Ingerman has dinner ready for us; didn't you say you just wanted to go for a short walk?"

Blinking, Hiccup shook his head in an attempt to clear it. It felt like it was filled with cobwebs. "Dinner?" he asked, mind weirdly hazy. "Didn't we just have tea?"

Eret threw him a wary look. "Hic, you've been out here for over two hours."

Again, Hiccup blinked, confused. "Two hours?" he mumbled, mind and tongue weirdly slow. He shook his head. That couldn't be true… But Eret only used this nickname in two situations; when they were in bed together, or when he was deadly serious. And, obviously, they weren't in bed right now.

"Let's head back," Eret sighed. "You need to warm up, and we should get some rest tonight if we want to keep working on the cottage tomorrow." He laced his fingers through Hiccup's, pulling him along, and he complied without reluctance.

His boyfriend was right, after all. Now that Eret's too-big jacket was wrapped around him and his warm hand wrapped around his, Hiccup suddenly realized how cold he was. Shivering, he leaned closer against Eret's broader frame, shamelessly seeking his warmth, and followed him along the path that led along the shore back to Mrs. Ingerman's pension. Or bed and breakfast place, as they called it here. Hiccup was looking forward to getting used to all the local customs once their new home was ready to move in.

But there was still something... Every few seconds, his eyes wandered to the roaring waves hitting the coastline only a few meters away from them and the wild sea beyond. There was _something_ out there, something–

Suddenly, he stopped, causing Eret to stumble as he yanked at his arm.

"Hey, what's up?" he yelped, throwing Hiccup a puzzled glance.

"There was…" Hiccup blinked, intently searching the raging sea. He could _swear_ he'd seen a flicker of gold amidst the waves, just for the blink of an eye, just... "Oh never mind," he said, shaking his head at his own stupidity. "You're right, love, I _really_ need a good night's rest if I'm starting to see things." Chuckling, he turned away from the ocean and cuddled into Eret's side. Surely it had just been a stray ray of sunshine. No, that wasn't possible, not with the sky getting darker with every second. Maybe a bit of waste, a plastic bag? Yeah, that had to be it.

Frowning, Eret gazed past him, eyes wandering over the waves, but then shrugged. They made the rest of the way without another incident. Hiccup refused to glance at the sea again and instead focused on Eret as he explained another idea he had to improve their future home. He was just tired, that was all.

And yet, there was _something_ calling for him.

And he couldn't say what it was.

 **. o O o .**

The creature followed them with unblinking eyes, deep blue like the ocean. Humming quietly to herself, she cocked her head, golden waves of hair falling like a waterfall over her shoulder, before she moved, riding the currents of the waves to follow them along the shore.

And she was confused.

These creatures were evil, she knew that just like she knew how to ride the tides. It was an instinct, knowledge deeply ingrained into her very being.

And yet…

There was something about these two…

There was a warmth in their chests, she could sense it. She couldn't see or feel it, but it was there, glowing, radiant, tugging at her cold heart, calling.

And she couldn't say what it was.

 **. o O o .**

 ** **I'd be incredibly grateful for feedback, unless it's hardcore-Hiccstrid, homophobic, or against polyamory. In that case, you can kindly keep your opinion to yourself. ;)****


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** **Okay, let's go on with this! :) I have a few chapters written out already, so maybe it's time to start posting. As a side note though: I changed the rating. Because these boys can't behave! ;)**

 **Don't expect any regularity though. ^^" And to everyone not into this: You're allowed to stay away. Really. Nobody cares about your homophobic tendencies ;)  
**

 **. o O o .**

 **Chapter 2**

"Oh, Mr Haddock! There you are!"

Mrs Ingerman, the round and friendly lady owning the little hostel, came hurrying toward them the moment Eret opened the door.

"Thank Odin that you found him, Mr Hunter. I'd half-feared you'd ended up in the depth of the sea, just like the fish you're named after. Oh, oh, how glad I am to see you here again. Come in, come in, I have hot stew and tea ready for you in a few. Sit down by the hearth and I'll be back in no time."

Hiccup followed her with his eyes as she hurried here and there, digging out several blankets and throwing another log into the fire before she scuttled off toward the kitchen. Still a little dazed, he smiled at all the effort she put in for them.

"Come, let's do as she said," Eret chuckled, gently guiding him toward the table closest to the hearth.

Hiccup sat, and just like before with feeling Eret's warm embrace, feeling the comfortable heat of the fire made him realise just how _cold_ he was. "Th-thanks," he muttered through jittering teeth as Eret laid one of the blankets around his shoulders and then wrapped his arms around him to further warm him up.

With a soft sigh, Hiccup leaned into his boyfriend's embrace, enjoying how the warmth slowly seeped back into his body from all sides, and suddenly felt incredibly tired.

"So, what was that?" said boyfriend eventually probed. He sounded casually enough, his hands lightly rubbing Hiccup's upper arms. And yet, Hiccup felt like there was more behind that question.

"What do you mean?" he asked nonetheless, bone-deep tiredness making it nearly impossible to form coherent thoughts.

"H, I know how you regularly get distracted by your own thoughts and easily forget everything around you. But even you should have noticed the change in weather. The wind? The waves? I hate to admit it, but I feared you might have fallen into the ocean too."

Hiccup chuckled, lightheaded, and wanted to wave off Eret's concerns, but didn't get the chance.

"Oh, that's not what I meant, Mr Hunter, not at all," Mrs Ingerman contradicted him, somehow carrying two bowls and two big mugs – all filled with steaming liquid – all at once. "This is a dangerous time to get lost outside. Dangerous, I'm telling you. But not because of the weather or the ocean, oh no." She threw a weird glance out of a window that pointed west, out toward the churning sea. "This storm, it's just a sign. A sign for all men to stay away from the water for a few days. And that goes for you too, I might add. You'd better take a break with your new home and rest until the storm blew past or the Undine will surely get you."

"The… _what?"_ Hiccup slowly let the spoon drop back into the bowl. He'd only listened to the innkeeper with half an ear, more focused on getting hot stew into his stomach and staying awake than anything else. But the unknown word drew his attention.

"Just a mythical creature, like a mermaid," Eret mumbled past his spoon.

" _Not_ like a mermaid," Mrs Ingerman corrected indignantly. "And it might already be too late for–"

The front door flew open with a lout _Bam!_ All three of them jumped, whirling around toward the sound and the cold gust of wind blowing in to see who'd made the way to this secluded hostel.

But there was nobody.

"Oh, Loki," Mrs Ingerman muttered, huddling over to shut the door again.

"Whoa, that really _is_ a storm," Eret noted, frowning. "Is the door frame warped? Do you want us to give it a look sometime during the next days?"

She gave him a strange look. "You can do that if you think that helps," she eventually said, grimacing. "But I'm telling you: it won't!"

 **.** **o O** **o .**

"What was that she was talking about?" Hiccup mumbled sleepily. "That… Hyundai-thingy."

They were, finally, laying in their bed, in the room they'd rented until their cottage was inhabitable. Hiccup was already half-asleep as Eret climbed in beside him after having double-checked all windows in the small hostel for Mrs Ingerman. And yet, somehow the words of the innkeeper wouldn't leave his mind.

Eret gave him a baffled look. "Hyundai? What–" realisation cleared his face, "–oh, you mean the undine." He laughed quietly as he covered them both with the double-sized blanket. "As I said, it's just a mythical creature, like dragons or unicorns."

"Mmh, I like dragons," Hiccup hummed, shifting to make himself more comfortable.

Eret's laughter grew a little louder. "Oh, really? I wouldn't have noticed with all those pictures in one of your boxes, not to mention the one on your back." He leaned over to place a peck on Hiccup's cheek that made him grin. "Dork. Seriously though, undines are just local legends, some kind of water nymphs."

"Guess I'll have to ask Mrs Ingerman for more details then if you don't want to tell me," Hiccup muttered, eyes already closed as Eret wrapped one arm around his midst, spooning him. He didn't even hear Eret's amused snort anymore.

 **. o O o .**

Beyond the shore, out in the sea, the creature played with the wind and the waves. Her laughter rang crystal-clear and burbling through the howling storm, and she loved every second of it. She was one with the world, with the wind and the ocean, free.

Her body, mostly shapeless, easily glided through the currents, riding them, _owning_ them. This was what she wanted, what she lived for. The freedom and the power of the moment, the exhilaration of the ever-moving surface and the silence of the deep dark below.

And yet she couldn't help it as her wide pupil-less eyes kept wandering to the bright spot in the distance. It had never bothered her, this wooden construction where the humans lived. It didn't belong to her world and didn't matter. Not even their artificial light had ever drawn her attention.

But tonight, she couldn't keep her gaze from returning there every few minutes. Something was calling her, alluring.

That night, she kept closer to the shore than usual, without really knowing why.

 **. o O o .**

 **So... any thought? ^^"**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** **Special update for a friend. I hope it can make you smile :)  
**

 **. o O o .**

Chapter: 3

Mrs Ingerman was proven right – at least when it came to them not being able to work on their cottage on the following day. The storm had been getting stronger over night, not moving on as the weather report had predicted but staying in place practically right above the bay.

It only took Hiccup and Eret one glance outside and a shared look to decide that, unfortunately, their cottage would have to wait. What followed was a good day, all things considered. Comfortable. The rain and the howling wind outside made for a cosy atmosphere, supported by the warmth and never-ending cracking noises from the fire in the hearth within.

Eret used the time to type away at his laptop, continuing to write his book about _Life In The North_ , how people used to live here during the past thousand years or so, what crafts and techniques they used, how nature provided for them, what stories and legends they told each other – and how that still influenced how people lived here today.

Hiccup actively had to suppress a grin whenever his boyfriend placed yet another seemingly innocent question to their host. Not that Mrs Ingerman seemed to mind in any way. It was obvious that her son Justin, who was a good friend of theirs and the reason they'd ended up buying the old cottage in the first place, had inherited more than just her love for good food. When confronted with the right kind of questions, it was nigh on impossible to make them stop talking.

Not good at holding up prolonged social contact at any given time, Hiccup mostly blended their conversation out though, and focused more on his drawing tablet. As much as he was looking forward to getting back to working on their future home, having a day to draw in peace again was good too. He'd put himself on a hiatus, all commissions and remittance work paused for now, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't _want_ to draw, whether it was for an interesting commission or just for fun. He drew many things that day, Eret and Mrs Ingerman as they were in deep conversation about local healing plants, some colour practise using the fire as inspiration, and even a picture of the storm and the churning ocean behind the windows.

"What's this?" Eret's sudden voice surprised him, and with a low grunt Hiccup looked up.

"What's what?" he asked, yawning and stretching, and gladly accepted the mug of steaming tea Eret held out to him. It smelled delicious, the warmth it emitted very welcome.

Eret sat down beside him, his own tea in hand. "This here." He pointed toward Hiccup's drawing tablet, to the picture of the storm – and a small light golden spot amidst the dark green, almost black waves.

Frowning, Hiccup stared at the unexpected spot of bright colour. "Erm…" he made unintelligently. "I have no idea. I didn't think much while drawing this, to be honest." He leaned down closer as if that would make the shapeless spot clearer. "Maybe the reflection of a light in the window?"

Chuckling, Eret threw an arm around his shoulders to draw him into a cuddle and placed a light kiss to his temple. "You're so adorable when you're entirely absorbed in something," he mumbled against his skin.

Hiccup rolled his eyes at his idiot of a boyfriend, but then turned his head to kiss him nonetheless. "I _could_ say the same, you know? I saw you and Mrs Ingerman had a good talk. What was it about? Something interesting for me to know?"

Eret shrugged and retreated a little to sip his tea without threatening to spill anything over Hiccup's valuable tablet. "Maybe. She told me of the ruins of some medieval castle somewhere up the coastline. I might go to take a look at some point, to see if it's something worth adding to my book."

"A castle, you say? I'm game. Got a commission for some _medieval AU_ thing, those ruins might be the perfect reference for the background."

"Yep, that's what I thought," Eret nodded. Then he leaned closer, close enough that his breath tickled at his ear. "Plus, it's supposed to be _very_ remote. We'd be completely alone there."

Hiccup shuddered, both at Eret lightly nibbling at his ear and at the implication alike. His boyfriend knew about his ' _outdoor kink'_ , after all. Eret chuckled at his low moan, then got up again with an undeniable _mission accomplished_ look on his face.

"I'll leave you to your drawing again," he announced, winking mischievously.

Chuckling quietly to himself, Hiccup watched Eret return to his laptop, his eyes not at all glued to the firm butt hidden beneath low-hanging jogging pants. Maybe this break from working on their cottage during the last days had yet another merit than just catching up on their usual work. They'd be, for once, far less exhausted tonight.

Trying to ignore the eagerly pooling heat in his belly, Hiccup focused back on the picture in front of him. With a clearer head now after the short break, that golden spot really stood out. How was it possible that he hadn't noticed it before? Bewildered, he glanced back out of the window liked he'd done a lot already today, at the untamable sea. Once again, he lost himself in the sight of waves raging against the shore, at the spray bursting high and getting carried far by the wind, and at the pattern the rain drew onto the never-resting surface.

It was captivating.

Mesmerising.

It took Hiccup quite some time before he noticed the difference between the picture he saw through the window and the one on his tablet. Frowning, he looked around the room but nothing had changed. All lights were still lit, none had gotten turned off or moved or suddenly got blocked by furniture. Once more, he glanced at his drawing, at the strange golden spot, and then back out the window. But no matter how he shifted his head or tried different positions, the result was always the same.

There was no reflection of any of the room's lights in the window.

 **. o O o .**

All day, she lingered close to the shore.

She knew that she shouldn't do that; it was an instinct older than she was herself. When the day and its light came, she had to retreat into open water or the dark depth of the ocean, couldn't risk for a human to spot her. Dangerous things happened when humans were involved, deadly things. She had to avoid them.

But the storm made the day nearly as dark as the night.

And she couldn't bring herself to swim away anyway.

All day, she'd watched the humans' construction, their brightly lit home. Their warmth.

Around her, the waves invited her to play with them, the wind singing her a song of freedom and eternity. But for once, they held no appeal to her. For once, all she was interested in were the figures she could see moving inside their building.

 _Wrong, wrong, wrong._

With a high-pitched scream, she threw herself into the waves and swam away, as fast and as far as she could. She couldn't get close to humans.

It was never worth it.


	4. Chapter 4

The following weeks were exhausting but also rewarding. Eret just loved how well he and Hiccup could work together in this – be it by _actually_ working together to build the new-but-old-looking kitchen, or by working separately on smaller tasks in order to get everything done. Painting the walls in varying shades of brown and green, building new shelves that fit neatly against the uneven walls for the old books they'd found stowed away in boxes in the cottages storage room, taking breaks every now and then to just _enjoy_ the simplicity and freedom of their new life, to enjoy each other. Yes, Eret was quite happy with how things had turned out, if he could say so himself.

Three years ago, he never would have considered moving to a remote cottage on Scotland's west coast with his boyfriend. Too much had he enjoyed the fast life in the big city, the clubs, the music, the thrill of meeting new people, men and women alike. Working all day for a big company had only been his means to get by, nothing he enjoyed, just something he did. He hadn't minded. It had been an… _easy_ life, living from night to night, and without ever thinking about the future.

But then he'd met Hiccup, this free spirit who wouldn't ever stand for doing something he didn't love, who was an artist in everything he did. Accepting him as a regular lover had been a first for Eret, as had been spending his free days, well… _free_. With Hiccup, he _always_ felt free, yet also somehow anchored and grounded at the same time. He made him feel good.

Committing to raise their being together to the next level, to enter a true _relationship_ , had been a much easier step than he'd ever imagined, just as, eventually, had been the decision to move together. Quitting his job he didn't really care for and instead doing what he'd always wanted to do – write the book he'd been thinking about _forever_ – hadn't been quite as easy, but he'd also never regretted it.

And now, they'd ended up here, in the middle of nowhere, in a cottage Hiccup's cousin's boyfriend had recommended them when they'd been looking for a calmer place to pursue both their arts. It was surreal, but in a fantastic way, and Eret would never want to change a thing.

"Ah, there you are" he noted as he spotted Hiccup standing behind the house, on the side that faced the ocean. It wasn't far; they only had to walk fifty meters, maybe a bit more, and then their shoes would be wet.

"Uh... what?" Hiccup turned when he heard Eret's words, a slightly dazed shimmer in his eyes. The late afternoon sun gave his hair a beautiful reddish glow, and Eret simply couldn't resist wrapping his arms around his boyfriend and kissing him.

Chuckling lightly against his lips, Hiccup easily kissed him back, his lips tasting of the salty brine. When they parted, the dazed shimmer was still lingering in his eyes, though.

"Is everything all right?" Eret asked, concerned. "You look tired."

Hiccup cocked his head, frowning slightly. "Tired? Yeah, I'm a little tired, I guess." He stretched and shook his head as if to clear it. "I was just taking a small break. The TV should work now, and the PlayStation is installed too."

"That sounds good. So we're actually done, right? Your desk and shelves are all build up too. I think we can actually stay here tonight."

"And break in our new home by falling asleep on the couch while watching a film?" Hiccup teased.

Eret grinned. That _had_ been one of the things they'd missed dearly during the past weeks they'd lived at Mrs Ingerman's pension. Although… "Well, that's not _exactly_ how I'd planned to break in our new home," he said, smirking, and the spark in Hiccup's eyes told him that he, too, had other plans too.

Eret gave Hiccup's rear a suggestive squeeze, then retreated. "Okay, I'll just tidy up the tools, then we can head over to Mrs Ingerman for dinner and to get our last things."

"Sounds perfect," Hiccup grinned. "I'll wait here if that's okay. The sun and the view are just too lovely right now."

Shaking his head at his adorable artistic geek of a boyfriend, Eret headed back inside. Orderly packing away his tools took him a few minutes, not because there was _much_ to pack away, but because he had a unique system for what belonged where – and nobody, not even Hiccup, quite got it right. Ever.

"Okay, I'm ready," he called, picking up his and Hiccup's coats from their hooks near the door. "You coming?" He half-expected an insinuating comment like _'Not yet!'_ , as that was quite often their kind of humour. So he was a little surprised when instead he got… _nothing._

"Hiccup?" he called again, walking around the small house. "You okay, or have you fallen into the ocean?" It was meant to be a joke, so Eret flinched when Hiccup wasn't where he'd left him anymore but instead stood several meters closer to the shore. Gazing out over the water and apparently not having heard his calls.

Frowning, Eret jogged over and placed a hand on Hiccup's shoulder to draw his attention.

"W-what?" Hiccup asked, turning dazed eyes on Eret, then blinked a few times to clear them.

Eret gave him a concerned look. "I'm ready to go. Are you sure you're okay? If it's too much we can still stay at the pension tonight and move our stuff tomorrow." They _had_ worked a lot during the past weeks, after all. Even Eret was exhausted, and between the two of them, he was definitely the better-trained one. And he refused to think about what his subconsciousness _wanted_ to think about. It was nothing but a myth, and the last weeks had passed without any notable incidents. He wouldn't start believing in ghosts now just because Hiccup had gotten lost in his thoughts.

Meanwhile, Hiccup seemed to honestly consider his suggestion. He took a moment or three to think about it before he answered, "No, I want to sleep here tonight. It's been long enough." With a loving smile, he carded his fingers through Eret's. "Let's do it."

Grinning, Eret squeezed Hiccup's hand. "Let's do it."

Hand in hand, they walked over to their well-used Pick-up, ready to actually get started with their new life. Excitement filled him at the thought that, finally, their long-awaited wish of living in a house of their own, remote and close to the sea, was coming true. Hiccup was little better, practically bouncing with anticipation – and unashamedly returned the ass-squeezing.

But as they were on their way, Eret noticed how Hiccup became calmer again, almost eerily so. Maybe it really was just because he was tired, but when Eret threw a quick glance at where Hiccup sat on the passenger seat, he was staring out at the ocean again, with the same dazed expression as before.

 **. o O o .**

Time had no meaning for her. Sun and moon exchanged their places on the firmament, but she didn't care. She did what she always did, gliding through the currents, watching, guarding.

But sun and moon had exchanged their places often by now. She hadn't counted, hadn't cared, but it still felt like a long time had passed since she'd left her bay. It wasn't _her_ bay. Just a part of the endless ocean she'd always felt drawn to. She hadn't spent all of her existence there, had been to other places. Staying away now shouldn't be so hard.

Except it was.

She kept finding herself swimming in a certain direction for longer than intended, kept pondering swimming back. What were humans to her anyway? They were nothing but short-lived, ephemeral inconveniences. Nothing that should bother her. Nothing that should be able to keep her from where she wanted to be.

And she wouldn't let herself be driven away by them.

Determined to ignore their strange lure, she swam back, following where her cold heart and the currents led her.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Another short and quick chapter... Hope it can make someone happy :)**

 **. o O o .**

 **Chapter 5**

"So, you're really done?" Mrs Ingerman exclaimed. She sounded half excited and half sad – which probably was a valid summary. Hiccup knew that her wishes for them to enjoy their new home were genuine, but she would surely miss the company, miss having people around at any time to chat with, to cook for, and who made small repairs for her every now and then – especially at this time of the year when there were no tourists to speak of.

"We are," Eret confirmed, a broad grin on his face even as he returned her hug. "But we promise to stop by every now and then. Your cooking is just too good to resist."

Laughing, Mrs Ingerman gave him a nudge to the shoulder. "Oh, you're a charmer, are you not? But I'd like that. Just give me a head start so that I can prepare enough for your appetite."

Chuckling, Hiccup and Eret sat down at the table she'd set for the three of them. "We will," Eret promised. "Luckily, our line is sufficient for a simple call like that." Hiccup's lips twitched at the perpetual tone in his boyfriend's voice. Their new home was _remote and secluded,_ just as they'd wanted. But that also meant that they would forgo a working high-speed internet connection. While it was sufficient for sending and receiving simple emails, spontaneous video chats with employers, customers, or family members wouldn't be possible. And while driving to the nearby town to do those at scheduled times was a bit of an effort, it still meant that they would be able to live and work in peace most of the times.

He was just glad that they hadn't gotten rid of their BluRay- and video game collection just yet.

"And in return, you know you can call whenever you need some help, right?" Eret went on in a serious tone that made Hiccup smile. They both had developed a soft spot for their host. Which was good, he supposed. Getting along with their new neighbours would surely be of importance – even as said neighbours lived a couple of kilometres away.

But Mrs Ingerman seemed unperturbed. "Oh, don't you worry about me, Mr Hunter. I can take good care of myself. I'm used to that, after all." She winked good-humouredly, but then became serious again. "But I'm more worried about you two, all alone out there. I know, I know, you don't believe me," she went on as Eret rolled his eyes, preventing him from interjecting. It made Hiccup curious as it seemed to be a topic they'd talked about before. But then, they'd talked about _a lot_ of things during the past weeks. "But I'll say it again, whether you want to hear it or not. Be careful! You wouldn't be the first men who disappear without a trace or get killed without a murderer ever to be convicted. Just saying."

At that, Hiccup's curiosity now got the better of him. "What do you mean?" he asked, amused about Eret's half-mocking groan of despair.

"I mean that you ought to be careful about the undine." She spoke in a serious voice, her expression grave, and she kept that on until Hiccup remembered where he'd heard that word before.

"Oh, you mean the mermaid?" he asked, trying to remember what little he'd gotten about that topic some weeks ago.

But Mrs Ingerman tsked, and gave Eret an indignant look. "She's not a _mermaid_ ," she exclaimed. "Seriously, I'd thought you of all people would at least tell the legend correctly.

"I didn't say anything about her at all," Eret tried to defend himself, but she wasn't even listening.

"An undine is not a mermaid, at least not like you folks think about them. Not a pretty girl with a fishtail, swimming around and rescuing castaways." She shook her head, her expressions darkening. "No, that's not what she's doing. She doesn't have a solid form until she chooses so, and even then the legends say that she can decide _how_ she looks. She's a water spirit, and an evil one too. Whenever her kind interacts with humans, death follows her, so you better watch out. She could be the pretty girl you meet at the market or the elderly woman who needs help crossing a street. She could choose to be _anyone_ , so long as it helps her luring in young impressionable men."

"Don't ask her how we're supposed to know that _she_ isn't an undine," Eret murmured, grinning.

"Don't you mock me, young man," Mrs Ingerman glared at him. "I'm serious. She's dangerous. There was this boy once, always gloomy and alone. Then, from one day to the other, he was suddenly smiling all the time and people wondered for which of the village's girls he'd fallen as that was obviously the only sensible explanation for his behaviour. But they never found out, or at least not in time. Because a few days later, he was found on the beach, dead. He'd drowned, they said. Some said he'd done it himself because his love had turned him down, but deep down everybody knew what happened. The undine had stolen his heart, had lured him into the ocean, had drained him of his soul, and then had left him to die. Because _that's_ what an undine does. She kills men – by eating their souls, by drowning them when they resist, or by corrupting their hearts until they kill themselves. So beware of her temptation, of her alluring song, her beauty. She's evil, I'm telling you. _Evil!"_

 **. o O o .**

So light…

The creature wouldn't admit it even to herself, but being back in her bay was such a _relief_. It should be just the same as before, coming back to where she belonged, but it felt like _more_. She felt so light and giddy that she spend nearly the entire day playing with the waves, not caring about any humans. She was still far away from the shore, and she just felt too good to care anyway.

Only when the sun was on its way down to sink into the ocean, she calmed down again. This was where she belonged and this was where she would stay. No human would ever be able to chase her away from here.

With new-found confidence, she swam back toward the coast, to the little building that had caused her so much distress. At first, she was glad to find that it had lost its power over her. She even almost swam past it without noticing. And then she realised… it had lost its appeal. Once again, it was only another space where humans lived, meaningless, cold, and empty.

The disappointment hit her twice in a way. She was disappointed that the strange tugging at her soul was gone – and at the same time, she was disappointed in _herself_ for being disappointed. Wasn't that what she'd wanted? To be free of this weird calling, to be strong enough to resist?

But no, she realised. No, that wasn't what she wanted. She wanted to _understand._

With her giddiness gone, she sank down to the ocean's ground where it was dark and cold. Usually, this place helped to calm her mind, but today, it too only felt empty. What had she done? Trying to understand, she listened into herself, to her soul and her thoughts, her wishes. She was so confused.

And then she felt it. It was weak and not where she'd expected, but it was still _there_. The pulsing warmth that was calling for her, so alluring, irresistible. Her head snapped around into the direction of the call, listening intently, and a second later she was riding the currents faster than in a very long time.

When she reached her goal, a headland with another even smaller building of the humans on it, trilling laughter escaped her and made the waves around her dance with her joy. The warmth was still there. The _humans_ were still there. She could see them standing near the shore, close, their warmth radiating like the sun itself. Humming, she basked in the warm waves that seemed to caress her cold soul like the water caressed her golden hair, and simply watched.

She'd been determined to ignore the strange lure they held on her… But there was no adventure in always doing the same. This was new, interesting, exciting. She felt the warning in her mind, the reminder that humans were dangerous, but she waved it off with an unwilling flick of her head. She wasn't doing anything. Just watching. Watching and learning.

 **. o O o .**

 **Legends are a weird thing... aren't they?**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm in a serious Hicret mood today, so here you go. Originally, I'd thought about keeping this story T-rated... and then the boys took over. *shrug* Not sorry! ^^**

 **. o O o .**

 **Chapter 6**

"Do you know what I find amusing?" Eret asked as Hiccup returned from the bathroom. After bidding their farewell to Mrs Ingerman and her pension, they were now getting ready to spend the first night in their new home. The thought alone gave Hiccup a good feeling, and Eret's amused smirk now only added to it. "Mrs Ingerman knows we're a couple. And she's _still_ worried we would fall for this spirit disguised as some girl with a pretty face."

Rolling his eyes a little, Hiccup chuckled. "Well, last time I checked we weren't _only_ into men – or each other, for that matter," he commented dryly. "Remember that Australian woman, for example? I _think_ we were both rather smitten with her. And then there was the other one, the one who brought her… what did she call them? Ah, right. _Wingmaiden_. _That_ certainly was a night to remember."

Eret snorted, but didn't contradict him. It would have been futile anyway. "Very true," he agreed as he pulled off his shirt. "Maybe I'm just too used to people making assumptions."

Hiccup nodded, understanding, even as the sight of Eret's bare torso was rather distracting. Eret had dealt with far more homophobic and ignorant people in his life than Hiccup. "But Mrs Ingerman knows about bisexuality and other _relationship models_ than average monogamy, remember? She's completely aware of her son's relationship with Scott and Heather. And okay with it, I should add."

Eret hummed in thought. "You're right. I might need a bit to get used to that kind of _tolerance_ though. To be honest, I hadn't expected to _ever_ meet open-minded people like her, let alone out here. But maybe it's this place; the endless land and the wide open sea… It's a _magical_ place." He laughed quietly as he disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Hiccup alone for a minute. Alone with his thoughts.

 _Magical..._

Sitting down onto their freshly made bed, he gazed out of the narrow window at the ocean in the distance. He'd almost forgotten the incident a few weeks back, when his mind had blanked out for _hours_ , and Mrs Ingerman had first brought up the Undine. But after their conversation today…

 _'_ _Beware of her alluring song.'_

A song… His memories of that day were fuzzy at best, and truth be told, he hadn't thought about it much anyway. But there was… _something_ in his memories, not really a melody or singing, no real _noises_ at all. It had been more like… like the _memory_ of a song, tugging at his subconsciousness. Calling…

But no, that was nonsense! He _hadn't_ heard a song… had he? Was it… _possible?_

"Do you think we _should_ be worried though?" he called over to the other room where he could hear Eret brushing his teeth. Yes, he hadn't thought of that day in weeks. But today, it somehow felt more _real_ again.

"Worrie' a'ou' wha'?" Eret asked, and briefly poked his head out of the attached bathroom, mouth foamy with bluish toothpaste. The sight made Hiccup's lips twitch.

"About the undine."

There was a moment of silence, then loud guffaws of laughter, followed by a curse and even more laughter. "See?" Eret entered their bedroom a few moments later, foam-free now, and wiped away tears of laughter. "This happens if you make such comments at such a moment. The first time we ever used that mirror, and it's already littered with drops of toothpaste."

"Then we already know who's going to clean it," Hiccup commented, trying to stay serious despite humour tugging at his lips. It was hard to stay gloomy around Eret, he mused as he rolled around to lay on the bed properly. And it was part of what he loved about him; that he could always brighten his mood.

Eret nodded vigorously. "You, for making me laugh at such an unfair moment. Seriously, H, you're not _believing_ anything of what she told us, do you? The Undine is nothing but a local legend."

"And aren't you the one who always tells me that every legend has a grain of truth in it?" Hiccup retorted, throwing back the cover to invite Eret in.

Snorting, Eret climbed in next to him and covered them both again. The nights could be awfully chilly out here – which made cuddling all the better. "Yes, I know I said that," he said as he wrapped his broad arm around Hiccup's midst. "But a _water spirit_? Seriously? The _'grain of truth'_ in this story is probably what she said about the boy. Because I dug a little deeper the first time she told me about the Undine. Yes, there was a boy who suddenly was overly happy one day, in love maybe, and then tragically died a few days later. And do you know how Mrs Ingerman _knows_ that story? Because _her great-grandmother_ told it to her. So, the truth in this legend is that, about a hundred years ago, a boy drowned in the ocean. Maybe it was suicide because his feelings weren't returned. Or maybe it was a little more tragically romantic, and he was on a date with his love when he accidentally fell into the ocean and drowned. Everything's possible, and there's no way to tell what _really_ happened. But people around here like to believe in spirits and other supernatural creatures. So, of course, to them, it had been the evil doing of an undine."

Hiccup pondered for a moment… and then nodded, chuckling. "I guess you're right," he admitted, feeling a little sheepish for actually having entertained the idea of a _mermaid_ living in this bay. Because, how stupid an idea was that, really… Forcing those thoughts away, he snuggled closer into Eret's warm embrace. "Maybe it's just this place. The ocean is so big, so powerful. Everything else feels so small and insignificant next to it that the idea of something magical living in there seemed…"

"...legit?" Eret suggested when Hiccup trailed off, and Hiccup nodded. "I know what you mean." He paused, then added with clear humour in his voice, "It _is_ a magical place!"

"Mmh, yes… magical…" Hiccup hummed softly, mind momentarily going blank as Eret let his hand glide down Hiccup's side. It was an obvious attempt to change the subject, but honestly, Hiccup wasn't complaining. This _was_ their first night here, after all, and they had… _plans._

Eret's hand left a warm tingling trail on his lower abdomen right down to his pelvis, but wouldn't quite touch him where he wanted him to. It was a game Eret was quite fond of, making him squirm before he actually _did_ anything, and Hiccup loved it.

"C'mon, Ret," he moaned, pressing back against Eret after what felt like endless teasing, rough fingers dancing over flushed skin. The feeling of Eret's warmth against his back and the heat of his semi against his ass was wonderful, but he wanted _more_.

"A little impatient, are we?" Eret chuckled against his back, and pressed a pleasantly stinging bite-kiss to Hiccup's shoulder that made him gasp. "But don't worry, you're not alone there." His hand reached down, and Hiccup let his head fall back against Eret as he brought his cock to full firmness with a few knowing strokes. _Finally,_ they were getting to the interesting part of the night.

Hiccup whined when Eret stopped touching him, but quickly got the message when he turned just in time to catch the bottle of lube his boyfriend tossed him. They switched regularly, always depending on their current mood, and apparently, Eret's prostate was craving attention tonight.

Again, Hiccup had no reason to complain. Working Eret open with slow and careful motions was always a show on its own; Eret moaned at the stretch, twisting and mewling at even the slightest teasing against his prostate. Hiccup loved to watch him like this, completely unwound in these primal reactions.

"Fuck! C'mon Hic," Eret eventually growled, repeating Hiccup's earlier needy plea. His cock was fully erect by now, steadily leaking pearly white drops of precum, and Hiccup simply couldn't resist. Grinning, he leaned down to lick them off, making Eret whimper almost pitifully. Then he positioned himself, gave his cock a few helpful tugs and generously lubed himself, before he slowly pushed into his boyfriend with a few measured thrusts.

The first few moments were always a little overwhelming. The heat. The tight grip of smooth muscles. The sight of Eret's flushed face, so utterly debauched. But it didn't take much to get grounded again. Eret's husky voice when he begged him to go on, their intertwined hands pressed to the mattress, and the rhythm of their heavy breathing. The way they kissed and rutted, pressing and clutching, it was like a spell. Perfection.

With the help of Hiccup's hand, Eret came first, cursing like a sailor and leaving a mess on his bare chest – though luckily not of the fresh sheets. Hiccup followed shortly after, watching Eret and the sensation of tightening muscles around his cock enough to hurtle over the edge as well.

White hot pleasure washed through him, made him cross-eyed, and tore a guttural groan from his throat, before he slumped down on Eret's chest. His arms and legs always got a little weak afterwards, but he wasn't worried about hurting Eret – of the two of them, Eret was the broader one after all – and he didn't care about his ruined shirt either.

"It's _great_ to finally be home," Eret muttered with an audible grin, his hands running up and down Hiccup's back as the rush of reward hormones slowly dwindled.

Hiccup could only hum in agreement. Now, they were finally home, ready to start their new life.

Together.

 **. o O o .**

That night, she did nothing but bask in the warmth of _her_ humans.

Not that she _owned_ them. Humans were part of life, not owned by anyone. And yet, she couldn't help but think of them as hers. Not as in they _belonged_ her… But there certainly was something drawing her toward them, something she'd never felt before in her entire existence.

So she spent the night floating near the small building, humming contently until the waves around her fell asleep. There was a sense of peace in her, one she hadn't known before. Somehow, this was where she belonged, near these humans. It didn't make sense with her inherited knowledge that humans meant death, but then, what _did_ make sense? Staying away hadn't been right, she was certain of _that,_ at least.

So she decided to stay. She would stay close to the small headland with the tiny building, a building she'd almost forgotten was there until _they_ had changed it. She would stay close to her humans, to the taller darker one and the smaller lighter one.

On and on, she watched them, day by day, interested in the way they moved, drawn in by the way they interacted. It was strange, foreign. Appealing. So warm.

She stayed even though she knew she shouldn't.

Because something was calling for her, and it was impossible to resist.

 **. o O o .**

 **Ah, they are so adorable! ^.^**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Yay, next chapter! :D**

 **. o O o .  
**

 **Chapter 7**

When Eret woke, he found that the bed beside him was already empty. He pouted at the lost opportunity for cuddles, but couldn't say that he was surprised. Even with how Hiccup usually slept in – since he was prone to forgetting the time when he was drawing in the evening – him being awake early had become a fairly regular occurrence since they'd moved out here. By now, he was probably outside, using the lighting of the sunrise as inspiration to draw.

Yawning, Eret stretched and wandered on into the kitchen to prepare himself a cup of coffee. After a couple of weeks living in their new home, it was easy to find the way even sleepy as he was. He'd just taken a sip, humming at the bitter-sweet taste that promised wakefulness, when he noticed that Hiccup's favourite cup was still standing by the sink, clean and clearly unused.

Eret frowned at the cup for a moment, then threw a worried glance out of the window. If Hiccup had been so distracted that he hadn't even gotten himself a cup of tea... With more uneasiness than he wanted to admit even to himself, Eret hurried out of the backdoor that led right to their _garden._ It was a strong word for the small terrace where only a simple table and a bench stood, and the probably once beautifully arranged flower beds were overgrown and barely distinguishable from the wild nature around them. Especially since there was no fence any more to separate both spaces.

Which was exactly the problem.

"Oh, not again!" he muttered as he spotted Hiccup standing a good distance away from the house, amidst the knee-high grass and staring out over the ocean. He jogged over, not even bothering to call out for his boyfriend. By now, he knew that Hiccup wouldn't hear him, would only react to direct contact. "Hey there, are you sleepwalking again?" he asked, his hand on Hiccup's shoulder. He'd meant to sound jokingly, but somehow he felt as if he'd failed.

As always, Hiccup needed a minute or three before he fully came to his senses again. "Oh, hey," he greeted Eret with a broad if dazed smile. "Morning, love. I didn't know you're awake too, or I'd…" He blinked, looking around in puzzlement. Then he slumped down, leaning against Eret's chest, and chuckled weakly. "Oh damn… I'd ask how it's suddenly bright already… but I guess I know the answer. It happened again, didn't it?" He chuckled again, leaning even more heavily against Eret.

Eret, however, just nodded, unable to find any of this _funny_. "Let's head back, hm?" he suggested, and wrapped his arm tightly around Hiccup to support his wobbly legs.

By the time they were back in their kitchen, Hiccup was mostly himself again. With fluid motions, he prepared breakfast for them both, scrambled eggs on toast, and even joked again.

"Gods, that Undine is really getting to me it seems," he said cheerfully. "Sometimes I wonder whether we will ever _see_ her. I'm curious, you know? I mean, sure, Mrs Ingerman said she doesn't have a fishtail or something. But how _does_ she look? Do you think she'd have pointy ears, gills, or webs?"

But Eret just rolled his eyes. "You _know_ that something like _mermaids_ – or the Undine Mrs Ingerman told us about for that matter – don't exist, right? Those are nothing but fairy tales, and I think we are too old to believe in those," he said teasingly, even as he didn't really feel like joking. Because every bit of logical reasoning aside… even he couldn't explain what was happening to Hiccup.

Absentmindedly, he sipped his coffee and ate his breakfast, trying to think of some other sensible explanation, when Hiccup interrupted him with another topic.

"So, are you coming along to town today? Fair warning, I'm going to be pretty busy. There are at least four customers I need to check in with, maybe five. That's going to take a while."

"Oh, right. That's today. Uh…" Eret pondered for a moment, but then shook his head. "No, I'll stay here if that's all right with you. I've got to catch up on my book, and I feel like today is a great day for writing."

Hiccup nodded, smiling. "Sounds good. And yeah, no problem. I'm going to drop in at the shop on my way back; is there something you want me to get for you?"

Eret thought for a second, then shook his head. "No, not really. Just the usual – and maybe not too heavy food for dinner? I have plans…" He grinned, making Hiccup smirk accordingly.

"Can't wait."

It didn't take long after that until Hiccup was ready to leave, wearing a black leather jacket Eret adored on him and his backpack with his laptop. "See you later, love," he said cheerfully, and stretched to give Eret a quick goodbye kiss.

But Eret wouldn't have that. The moment he got the chance, he wrapped his arms tightly around his boyfriend's waist, and pulled him close into a deeper kiss. Hiccup gave in easily, chuckling against his lips, and brought one hand to the back of Eret's neck, drawing him even closer.

"Mmh, don't take too long," Eret mumbled, and released him with a regretful sigh. Their life out here was pretty easy and relaxed, but sometimes, there were still appointments they couldn't miss.

Once Hiccup and their truck were out of sight, Eret prepared himself another big mug of coffee, and got ready to get to work himself. It was a beautiful day, already warm even so early in the morning, and it probably wouldn't be long now until they could go swimming in the ocean. He decided to set up his laptop outside on the small terrace, and it didn't take long before he sat comfortably and with his document open, ready to start.

It should have been an easy task, writing out his notes in full. But he wasn't able to concentrate, his mind constantly drifting back to the morning and to Hiccup. What was it that was up with him? Was he turning into a sleepwalker all of a sudden? Whatever it was, it was a little disturbing, but Eret refused to believe even for a second that his behaviour could come from the influence of some mystical creature. Things like mermaids or dragons or spirits didn't exist. He'd researched enough of those myths to recognise the pattern. Someone had made up a story once, and then _everything_ – from the weather to cheating partners and the death of children – got ascribed to that one explanation. But Eret wouldn't fall for that.

Maybe it was just living out here that affected Hiccup, he mused as his eyes wandered over the ocean's surface. The quiet and solitude out here was immense, and only got interrupted by the constant rushing of the sea, the only sound far and wide. It was fascinating, Eret had to admit as his eyes followed the waves, watched them crashing against a single rock some 50 yards away from the shore. Soothing yet never boring, and the light breeze on his face almost like the caress of a lover.

 _It was beautiful, mesmerizing. The feel of the wind, the sight of the glistening sun on the ocean, the brine in his nose and on his tongue, the sound of the waves almost like a melody. So beautiful..._

Eret flinched as something warm landed on his arm. With a low gasp he shook his head, weirdly hazy all of a sudden, and it took him a moment to realise that someone was talking to him. He had difficulties focusing his eyes, especially as what he saw didn't make sense.

"Hiccup?" he asked, bewildered. "W-what are you doing here? Did you forget something?" He felt strange, tired, exhausted even, and his eyes were playing tricks on him. Everything had the wrong colour.

"No, I didn't," Hiccup sighed, then tugged at his arm, one hand wandering around his waist to guide him. "But let's head back toward the cottage and sit down before we talk, all right?"

Eret blinked, confused, but followed Hiccup's lead. Back to the cottage? But… but he'd never left it! Slowly he let his bleary gaze wander around, taking in his surroundings. They were at the end of the small headland a good 100 yards away from their cottage, surrounded by the knee-high grass and on three sides by the ocean. How had they ended up here?

Next, Eret understood why everything looked so strange. The sky and everything around him was tainted in red and gold by... _the setting sun?_

"What happened?" he asked a few minutes later after Hiccup had sat him down on the bench in front of their home and had brought him a woollen blanket. Eret thankfully took the blanket and wrapped it around himself, shivering. His eyes fell on his laptop, the display dark and only the blinking light indicating that is was still on, and his mug of coffee, cold by now and with some bug having drowned in it. "I… I was sitting here just now, getting started after you'd left… this morning... and… and then…" His gaze wandered back to the headland, his mind unable to comprehend. What had _happened?_

"It's disturbing, isn't it?" came Hiccup's soft reply, and when Eret looked at him there was an even softer smile on his face. "And I don't know what it is, what happens. But it's… _something_. Maybe you're right and it's not Mrs Ingerman's Undine. But what is it then?"

To that, Eret had no answer. He didn't resist when Hiccup suggested getting back inside, and a perfectly done steak and a well-seasoned bowl of salad later, he almost felt normal again. He still couldn't wrap his head around that he'd dreamed away the entire day, but when Hiccup told him of the conversation he'd had with his customers and employer it eventually sank in for real. And no matter how much he enjoyed watching a film after dinner or the quick messy tryst with Hiccup afterwards, there was still this one thought on his mind when they cuddled to sleep, a thought that frightened him a little.

What if this legend was _real?_

 **. o O o .**

For weeks now, the creature had been watching them. Her heartbeat quickened whenever she spotted one of them outside, humming a low tune in delight. She couldn't even say why, but they gave her a warm feeling, and she barely ever dared to leave least she missed them.

Today had been a lucky day though. They'd both been there, coming close to the shore for her to watch them for hours, and once they'd retreated out of sight into their small construction, she was unable to hold back. Laughing in delight, she left the rock where she was usually staying out of sight and jumped through the waves, playfully, happy.

She didn't even understand it herself. All her instincts told her to stay away, that humans were dangerous, that getting involved in their world meant death. And yet, she was unable to stay away, spending more and more time each day watching the construction and the headland, her two humans, wanting to be near them. It was insane, illogical, stupid. But still, it wasn't enough.

That night, she couldn't keep herself from doing something that she knew she shouldn't do. She'd never done it before even though she instinctively knew how. It had never appealed to her, she'd never been interested. For all her life, all those countless decades, she'd been content with staying where she was. Living between the waves was all she wanted, all she needed.

Or had been until now.

Slowly, hesitantly even, she glided closer to the water's edge, to where the waves lapped at the rocky ground and the thin beach. Behind the shore, the small construction stood in darkness now, and yet so warm and alluring that she barely could turn her eyes away from it. She shouldn't get any closer, should turn and swim away again.

Once again the thought of leaving the bay rose in the back of her mind. The bay certainly would do without her for a few years, she could move to another place where she was needed too, could forget this place and its humans until they had left this world. It would be the right thing to do, the wiser choice.

And yet, it was impossible. She'd learned that much from her last try. She couldn't stay away, and she honestly didn't want to anyway. All she could do was try and solve this mystery.

Humming nervously, she drifted closer and closer to the solid ground until the water got too shallow. Her head poked out of the water, the moonlight casting a pale silvery shine onto her hair, but that was nothing unusual. She liked to look around, over the waves and into the sky. What came next, however, was new to her, daring.

Slowly, she rose out of the water, her form solidifying without her having to think about it. Her body knew what to do, forming skin, muscles, and bones to support her weight and keep herself together. It felt strange, weird, distracting. She felt heavy and trapped, as if she couldn't move, couldn't breathe. Her eyes darted around, vision bleary, until they landed on the small house. Without her help, her arm rose, reaching out – and her gaze fell on her hand.

It was trembling, foreign in its shape, its movements alien. Not right. Not _her!_

Keening, she threw herself back into the water, her body flowing apart into its usual shapeless form, and without looking back even once, she swam away. Humans weren't worth it, she reminded herself. They never were! It would be better to stay away.

But she already knew that that wasn't an option anymore.

 **. o O o .**

 **So... apparently, it's not just Hiccup who's affected... :|**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: This story received a sudden surge of attention lately, and I hope I can keep up with the expectations. :)**

 **. o O o .**

 **Chapter 8**

Hiccup had to say that he quite enjoyed the sight of his sleeping boyfriend as he lay naked between the rumpled sheets. He'd been so tense lately, obsessed with researches for an additional chapter. Hiccup wondered what had prompted this since, in principle, Eret had been done with the rough outline of his book. But Eret had only reacted with an absent-minded grunt when Hiccup had asked him once, so he'd left it at that. He knew by now that Eret would gladly talk about it – when he had the mind for it.

That was one of the things that worked so wonderfully between them, after all. They could talk about everything, but they also both recognised and respected when the other needed more time to first sort through their own thoughts.

Either way, today Hiccup still planned to get Eret out of this almost gloomy mood. He crawled onto the big bed and woke his boyfriend with light caresses and a teasing mouth on his neck and shoulders. Eret reacted with a low grunt and then with pleased hums, leaning into Hiccup's touches.

"Morning," Hiccup murmured after a few minutes, grinning against warm skin. "Time to get up."

"Nooo, not yet," Eret mumbled sleepily, and turned to pull Hiccup into a kiss and an embrace that would easily lead to more. "Although, _something_ definitely up already."

But Hiccup retreated, laughing, and shook his head. "No, no, none of that now. Come on, I have plans for today."

Eret pouted, but eventually got up and followed Hiccup into the kitchen, glancing curiously at the food his boyfriend was packing into a bag right now. "What's all this for?" he asked, gratefully accepting the mug of coffee Hiccup had already prepared for him.

"We're going out today," Hiccup declared as he stowed away the last bit of the snacks he'd prepared. "Remember the ruins you once mentioned? I asked Mrs Ingerman where exactly they are, and that's where we're going today. A field trip for you to investigate those ruins and for me to take pictures for inspiration or to draw right there. We can stay there all day," he added, nodding toward the picnic blanket.

At that, Eret's expression turned into a wide grin. He placed his mug back onto the counter and approached Hiccup with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "We can stay outside all day, eh?" he mumbled into his ear, his broad hands gliding down Hiccup's sides and wrapping around his hips, making him shudder. "And I bet that picnic is all you've planned. Just a nice day in the sun."

He bent to nibble at Hiccup's neck, and he wasn't able to keep in a needy moan, pushing his hips forward against Eret's. But Eret retreated, chuckling.

"No, no, none of that now," he repeated Hiccup's words from before, grinning. "Better save that for later."

Hiccup groaned, but also couldn't help a renewed shudder running through his entire body. Eret knew him too well. _Later_ meant that Eret had seen right through him, and Hiccup was reminded of how lucky he was that his boyfriend didn't mind his outdoor kink at all.

 **. o O o .**

The ruins were just as interesting as Hiccup had suspected. They were the remains of a moated castle, standing at the end of a small and calm cove. The outer walls still reached into the sea, and there also was a small tower, standing freely amidst the water. On solid ground, many other parts of the former building were also still standing with patches of green in between, partially former gardens and partially places mother nature had reconquered over the centuries. There was one place in particular, a sunny patch of grass near a small beach within the castle's walls, that immediately drew their attention.

Without a word, Eret spread out the blanket and stretched out on it. "Yeah, I think I can stand staying here," he sighed, turning his face toward the sun. "Too bad we didn't bring our swimming kit. It's certainly warm enough and the water looks so inviting!"

"Well… I did pack towels. It's not like there's anybody around to see us," Hiccup replied as he placed the bag with Eret's laptop, his own tablet, and their camera on the ground next to the food.

Eret snorted, but didn't even open an eye to give Hiccup the smirk he knew he would get under different circumstances. "Of course you did."

The first hours of their day out passed just as lightly as planned. They roamed the old castle's ground, climbing on walls and discovering hidden spots at the most unexpected places. Eret took notes and pictures of all the things they found, cataloguing everything for later researches, while Hiccup took more pictures of the general scenes for background inspiration. Every now and then, they took breaks to eat some of the snacks, self-made bread, cheese, fruits, and Hiccup's famous banana bread. Around noon, they dozed off, the warm sunshine on their skin, and when Hiccup woke, it was to a warm body cuddling up to him, a large hand slipping beneath his tunic-style shirt.

"Are you awake yet?" Eret muttered from behind him, his hand leaving a trail of sparks on his skin that made heat pool in his lower belly.

Instead of an answer, Hiccup pushed back against where he could feel Eret already half hard against his ass. What followed was an intense playfight of groping and tugging clothes off, of pushing each other down, and of laughter and kisses. In the end, Hiccup won, though probably only because Eret let him. They both knew what being outside did to Hiccup during sex, and Eret was always eager to take this wild, almost feral side of his boyfriend.

" _Fuck, Eret!_ " Hiccup groaned a good amount of lube and preparation later as he pushed into welcoming heat. His vision and mind were already blurry, his hands on Eret's hips to steady them both.

Beneath him, Eret gave a needy grunt as his prostate was hit, already so sensitive after Hiccup stimulating it with his fingers. He was on all fours, the best way to take Hiccup in this primal state in his opinion, but even though they'd barely started, his arms were already shaking.

It didn't take long before Hiccup lost himself to their surroundings. He couldn't say what it was, but there was just _something_ about having sex outside; about the fresh air, the wind on sweaty skin, the scent of grass and flowers, of the sea and the earth, the sounds of rustling leaves – it all mixed into the usual experience and turned sex into something _more._ Soon, he lost his ability to think and only _felt_ , the heat, the pleasure, how it all grew in intensity until his body felt on fire.

"Oh, Gods!" he grunted through gritted teeth as he felt his orgasm building, everything insight him growing tight. Eret replied with an unarticulated noise somewhere between a whine, a groan, and a shout, and it gave Hiccup the last push. He came with a primal howl, buried deeply inside Eret's twitching and clenching body.

When he came to his senses again, he was enveloped in Eret's embrace, looking up into a lazy and satisfied smile.

"Hi there. Back to human brains?" he asked teasingly, making Hiccup chuckle weakly and burrow deeper into his embrace.

"Mmh, not quite, but I'm getting there," Hiccup mumbled back. "But how are you? I'm sorry, I lost myself again, and–"

"Oh, don't be daft," Eret interrupted him, laughing, and cut him off with a kiss. "There's nothing quite like getting fucked by that animalistic side of you, and you know how much I enjoy that. No need to apologise for anything."

Hiccup hummed, but still threw a quick glance below and was relieved to find Eret soft and satisfied. Yes, outdoor sex always was an intense experience, for them both, but he still always worried about how utterly unobservant he would become.

For a while, they only kept cuddling in silence until Eret broke it. "Thank you for this day out," he sighed. "I really needed that."

Hiccup only nodded, waited for him to continue.

"I've… I've been too obsessed with this thing lately. Remind me to stick to my original opinion and trust in my instincts in the future."

"I will. What were all your researches about anyway?"

Eret let out a weak laugh, sounding almost embarrassed. "It was… well, it was about the Undine."

With a low grunt, Hiccup retreated to look at Eret, checking whether he was serious. With how vehemently he'd turned down this specific topic over and over, this was probably what Hiccup had expected the _least_.

"Yeah, I know what you want to say, H. _'Wasn't it you who always told me it's nothing but a weird fairy tale, not even worth thinking about it twice?'_ It's just... How we sometimes lose entire hours without remembering them." He gave a helpless shrug. "It's strange. I don't have an explanation for that, so I thought… well, I thought it wouldn't hurt to look what this local legend even was about."

"And what did you find?" Hiccup asked, half worried and half amused.

Eret just snorted though. "Nothing. Nothing that makes sense, at least," he grunted. "There's the story Mrs Ingerman told us, about that boy who died, and I've heard the same story from others in the village too. One elderly man even claimed that one of his ancestors had seen her. A beautiful woman wandering through the village in the middle of the night. That's apparently what started all the other stories, because a stranger in the middle of the night _obviously_ can only be an evil spirit." He snorted and shook his head. "And since then, the Undine gets the blame for every accident and every misfortune, be it a stillborn child or just someone losing their keys. There isn't even an explanation for who or what she is, where she comes from, or what she wants. It makes no sense. Usually, such legends have a more… more _decorated_ core, you know? Something more substantial. More details and background, another source than just _'a woman was seen as she walked through the night'._ It's so flimsy compared to other legends I've heard."

Hiccup nodded. He understood what Eret meant, had heard about enough other legends to see the difference. "So, then you don't believe in the Undine anymore?"

Again, Eret snorted and rolled his eyes at his boyfriend. "I wouldn't say that I _ever_ believed in her. You should know me better than that by now."

Hiccup hummed in agreement. Eret was too practical and too grounded to believe in the supernatural. Yes, he researched the old legends and treated them with respect when he talked about them in his book, but that didn't mean that he _believed_ in them. "What changed your mind then? To look into it in the first place, I mean?"

Eret gave a little shrug. "I guess I was hoping to find some answers. I mean, there _is_ something out there. There has to be some explanation as to why we lose track of entire hours all of a sudden. It's not just you, after all, not just one person, but two. And something like that never happened to us before. I thought it might be some… some hallucinogenic gas leaking from the earth, or something. Or an intense magnetic field that plays tricks on our minds. Just _anything_. But even _if_ it was something like that… that doesn't explain why it would affect us so strongly."

"Maybe the general population here is more used to it by now?" Hiccup offered as a possible explanation. Personally, he was fine with accepting it all to be the doing of a sentient water spirit, but he knew that Eret felt differently and Hiccup enjoyed throwing ideas around with him.

But Eret shook his head. "That _would_ be a possible explanation," he admitted. "If it wasn't for the fact that tourists generally stay entirely unaffected by this, by _the Undine_. No, not even that makes sense. I should have just left it be, because _none of it makes sense!"_

In a way, Hiccup would have liked to keep talking about this topic. It was the first time Eret didn't just ward it off as complete nonsense, after all. But he respected his boyfriend's wish for a change of topic. "Maybe you're just overworked and after today everything will be clearer again. Anyway, how about we go swimming before the sun gets down? Because having brought those towels for no reason would be a shame."

It didn't take any more convincing after that. With the days getting longer and warmer, they'd both been eager to go for a swim in the ocean, and this secluded place was just perfect; no too strong waves or hidden currents, with only calm clear water, the tower, and interesting rock formations. For nearly an hour, they stayed in the cool water, swimming around the rocks, diving along the old castle walls, and picking up a couple of pretty shells. Hiccup nearly died of laughter during a water fight that left them both panting and grinning, and that ended with a passionate kiss which left them even more breathless. Hiccup greatly enjoyed the taste of salty water on Eret as he went down on him, with Eret's hands clawing into the damp beach as he came since they'd not even made it back to their blanket.

All in all, it was a great day. And when Eret said so too as they snuggled under their blanket that night, Hiccup couldn't help the satisfied grin. This was it, the life they had been looking for. Not free of work, but free of obligations and expectations, free to divide their time as they chose, and free to be with each other in whatever way they wished. And it made him happy.

 **. o O o .**

When her humans had left their construction shortly after dawn, she'd followed them along the coast and to the other, much older construction. This one was even older than she was, from the time of her predecessor or even earlier still. There had always been one like her in these waters, after all.

The creature couldn't help but smile as she watched them all day long. Even though she had to keep a little more distance in the calmer waters, she still saw how happy they were, and that made her happy in return. Their behaviour didn't make much sense to her, sometimes wild like a storm and then calm like a breeze only a few moments later. She paid close attention as she watched them that day, trying to understand and to learn. And even though she understood barely anything of what they did, she couldn't smother the wish to join them.

She wanted to climb those walls too, an exercise so different from swimming that she could barely wrap her head around it. She wanted to taste the food they obviously enjoyed so much, not being used to eating herself aside from what the light and the water provided her with. She wanted to feel the sun on her skin, even as the memory of said skin forming around her still made her shudder. She wanted to know how it felt to touch and be touched. She knew how a rock felt when she leaned on it, but another living being would certainly feel differently – and also different from when a fish accidentally swam through her.

When they eventually entered her world beneath the ocean's surface, she couldn't make herself stay away from them, though. She was careful not to poke her head over the calm surface and also made sure to stay behind rocks so they wouldn't spot her vague face floating around. But still, she stayed close, swimming around them in circles and enjoying their presence.

That night, she watched their small construction with an entirely new feeling. Being so close to them had given her a thrill. It had been exciting and wonderful, and she'd deeply missed their warm trail when they eventually ventured back onto solid ground. However, she felt as if part of the warmth she'd witnessed all day was still there, in and around her, making her mind tremble with joy. And she hoped that, with the warmer season coming, she would get the chance to do something like this more often.

She didn't fool herself though. Today, the memory of tight skin trapping her might have been enough to keep her in the water – but it was only a matter of time before her curiosity got the better of her.

 **. o O o .**

 **Uh-oh... I wonder how that will turn out...**


	9. Chapter 9

With a yawn, Eret stretched when he woke. A low groan answered him and when he blinked his eyes open and turned his head, a lazy smile tugged at his lips when he found Hiccup still lying next to him. To Eret's deepest relief, him sleeping longer again in the morning without getting up to draw or getting lost in gazing at the ocean had become normal again lately. Apparently, they were getting used to living here, after all.

Quietly so as to not wake his boyfriend, Eret left their bedroom. It was a lovely summer morning, not yet as hot as it would become during the day, and it only took him a few seconds to decide to go for a swim. During the past weeks, that had become a nearly daily occurrence, with the warmth of summer and the ocean directly at their doorsteps. Only yesterday, he'd lamented how he might not get the chance today with how he'd have to be in town nearly all day to talk to his publisher, but he certainly had time to do so now before breakfast.

He downed the coffee he'd already brewed, burning his tongue a little, then grabbed a towel from the bathroom and headed outside. That was one of the perks of being this isolated from anyone else – they never needed to bother with swimming trunks. With having a bit of practice by now, his eyes scanned the waves on either side of the headland their home was on. When the water was calm enough it was possible to swim on the side that faced the open sea, and it seemed as if he was lucky today.

With a huge grin, Eret threw himself into the waves and enjoyed how the cool water had him wide awake in an instant. He made a few testing strokes so his body and muscles would get used to the movement, then headed out to his favourite goal – a rock-formation that loomed out of the water at just the right distance to swim around and then head back. He reached it far quicker than he'd anticipated though, the daily swim training apparently showing results. The thought made him a little giddy, but his mind also directly tried to come up with what else to do now that simply swimming here and back again wasn't much of a challenge anymore. He couldn't come up with something right away though, with the outer sea stacks being a bit _too_ far for now, so he tried to at least vary his normal routine a bit. Instead of just plain swimming back to the shore, he decided to try what Hiccup often was so fond of. He took a big gulp of air, dove down – and couldn't believe his eyes.

Gasping for air, he broke through the surface again. At first, he felt as if his body would freeze – whether in shock, surprise, or disbelief he couldn't tell – but then some sense came back to him and he rushed toward the solid ground, faster than he thought possible.

Was that… had that been _real?_ No… no, that couldn't be! It wasn't possible! He just had an overactive imagination after all his research lately. Yes, that was it. Just a weird fantasy. With a shaky laugh, Eret shook his head. As if what he'd seen could have been real… He went back to their cottage without looking back again, determined to not think about this any longer. And yet, he wasn't able to entirely shake off the uncertainties that kept lingering in his mind, not even when Hiccup greeted him with breakfast and a loving smile.

"Ah, there you are, and just in time. The bacon is ready any moment now. Good morning."

Hiccup stretched a little, clearly expecting a good morning kiss, and Eret gave in, if only by sheer reflex. He was still unable to form anything resembling a coherent thought. He sat down at his usual place at their kitchen table, mechanically accepting the fresh mug of coffee and a generously laden plate of bacon and scrambled eggs with a nod.

"Is everything all right?"

"Uh? Oh, yeah, sure. I was just… I don't know, distracted."

"Yeah, I noticed," Hiccup stated with a dry smirk. "I doubt you heard _anything_ of what I talked about in the last five minutes."

Eret winced and threw Hiccup a sheepish smile. "Sorry?" Had he really paid that little attention?

"Don't worry," Hiccup chuckled. "It's not as if I never drift off like that. What were you thinking about, your book? Today is your appointment with your publisher, right? Do you have everything ready for that?"

Hesitantly, Eret nodded. "Yeah, something like that," he evaded giving a direct answer. "But yes, everything's ready. In fact–" he glanced at the clock hanging on the wall and grimaced, "–I think I better get going soon." Reluctantly, he gulped down the breakfast Hiccup had prepared for him, then got ready to go. He had a bad feeling about leaving Hiccup alone here. Not that there was a reason for that! No, certainly not; what should that be anyway? But still… He was almost out of the door, his laptop and a lunch box filled with small delights in a rucksack on his back, when the feeling became too strong not to act on it.

"Hey, Hiccup?" he called as he turned in the doorway. "In case you were thinking about going for a swim today… I'd advise you not to. There was… well, there were some rather strong currents earlier, and… yeah, maybe you better stay away from those."

Then he left, but the uneasy feeling still lingered.

 **. o O o .**

The creature was in shock. Something like this had never happened before. It _shouldn't_ have happened! Nobody had ever seen her, _ever_.

But then, she'd never come this close to humans before.

During the last moon or so, she'd come closer to them than she'd ever imagined she would. But ever since that first time they'd entered her world, she felt even more connected to them than before. Since then, every time they'd broken through the ocean's surface, she'd been there to watch over them. They seemed capable enough but nobody knew these waters better than her. The least she could do was keep them safe from sudden currents or too-high waves.

Or that's what she'd been telling herself, at least. But deep down, she knew that this was more. With every day, she'd dared to come closer to them, to bask in their warmth, and the closer she got to them the lighter she felt. As if she _needed_ to be close to them. She couldn't understand the strange noises they made to communicate, but judging by their behaviour, they seemed to have fun, be it while playing between the waves or during their strange play-fights on the shore when they apparently tried to eat each other.

Yes, she'd dared to come a little bit closer to them with every day until she'd glided through the water right beneath the bigger one of her humans today, accompanying him to her rock and easing his way. Every now and then she'd come so close to him that she could almost reach out and touch him. It had made her giddy and careless, diving up and down, watching him move and enjoying the company. And then...

And then he'd dived beneath the surface. From one second to the other, his face had been right in front of her own, and there was no question whether he'd _seen_ her. The surprise and disbelief in his eyes had been clearly identifiable, even to her, and him leaving the water in a hurry told her the rest. He'd seen her – and had been afraid of her.

She wasn't sure how to feel about that. Getting too close to humans was dangerous and could only end in death; she knew that by instinct. But why had the _human_ been afraid? Was it possible that they knew that too?

For she didn't know how long, she simply floated in the bay's calm water, buried too deeply in her thoughts to notice how the sun moved in the sky or how the sea-life moved around her. Anxiously, she tried to decide on what to do now? Could she risk staying so close to them? She'd _thought_ she'd been careful enough, but obviously, that wasn't the case. No, she had to put more distance between them again, even though just thinking about that made something deep inside her ache.

Trembling, she ran her fingers through her hair and pulled at the strands. Transitioning into an at least _somewhat_ more solid form had happened practically on reflex as this kind of intense emotions were easier to cope with this way. But still, she barely took in anything of her surroundings, curled into a tight ball – until she sensed something solid moving in the water around her, too big for it to just be another fish.

Afraid of not having been observant enough _again_ , she whirled around toward the movement, froze for a heartbeat when she found her fears confirmed – and then dashed away into the depths of the ocean where it was dark and no land-living creatures could follow her.

 **. o O o .**

Gasping for air, Hiccup broke through the ocean's surface. With his heart punting in excitement, he first threw a not very helpful look around then dove back down. But no matter how many times he repeated that process, he always came up empty-handed.

But what he'd seen… That had been _her_ , hadn't it? _The Undine!_

Eventually, he gave up his fruitless search and swam back to the shore. With wide eyes, he looked back over the waves but couldn't spot anything that didn't belong there. But he hadn't just imagined it; he refused to believe that. Yes, they hadn't felt much of the Undine's pull throughout the last couple of weeks, but that didn't mean that she was gone – even though Eret seemed to have been happy about not approaching that topic again. No, she was still there, and Hiccup was certain that he'd seen her just now.

For a few minutes, he kept searching the waters, trying to wrap his head around what just happened. Despite Eret's warning of strange currents, he'd decided to go for a swim anyway. The weather was too nice not to. But he'd still heeded the warning, partially at least as he'd opted to swim in the calmer bay instead of the open sea. And as so often, he'd dived down until he was surrounded by only silence and the eerie light beneath the surface. He loved doing that, the sense of peacefulness down there.

But today, instead of fish and sea plants, he'd seen something else: a beautiful face, crystal clear, surrounded by a cloud of light hair. It had a greenish touch just now, but he imagined that, in bright sunlight, it would be golden. He hadn't seen much else of her, only the vague and blurry outline of shoulders, arms, and the hint of a chest, all translucent as if made of coloured water.

But she'd been _there!_

Hadn't she?

Well, he was certain that he'd at least seen _something_ , even though that something had disappeared after only a second and no matter how much he'd looked, he hadn't been able to find her again. Was it possible that he'd just imagined it all? Chewing his lower lip in thoughts, he slowly wandered back toward the cottage. He was relatively sure about what he'd seen, but he also knew that Eret wouldn't believe him and Hiccup couldn't even blame him. So far, all their talking about the Undine had been more or less joking, nothing serious, just idle _'what if's_. This now though? This changed everything. What if the Undine was _real?_

Still pondering, Hiccup entered their home and more out of reflex than anything else dug out his old-fashioned easel. For most of his work, he preferred his drawing tablet, the layer option making it easier to work with. But right now, he needed something else, something more solid and something _bigger._

He closed all the curtains and only lit one lamp for indirect light, similar to how it had been down there. Then he tried to recreate what he'd seen; the dark and shapeless background of the ocean's ground with rocks and plants, the eerie light from above, a shoal swimming by in the distance. And that face in the centre with its round shape, a pointy chin, and a chubby little nose. Her hair had been a wild mess but there had been something like bits of seaweed, wrapped around her head and woven into the strands. And her eyes… There had been something about her eyes. He hadn't been able to see their colour but he had noticed how… how _deep_ they'd been, endless like the ocean itself. And no matter how often he tried, he couldn't quite get them right. Something was always off, and he just couldn't–

"The eyes… they're bigger."

Yes, that was it, Hiccup thought with a satisfied smile and lifted his hand to–

Startled, he whirled around and stared at Eret standing in the doorway. He hadn't expected Eret to be back already, so it had taken him a moment to realise those words had been his. His first impulse was to ask why he was back already, but only one glance out of the open door showed him how late it already was. Once again, he'd lost all track of time.

Then _what_ Eret had said sank into his mind.

His gaze shot back to his boyfriend, bewilderment keeping him from forming a sensible question. But Eret knew him well enough, saw the disbelieving question in his eye.s He nodded, slowly, and said, "Yes. I've seen her too."

 **. o O o .**

 **Uha! No pretending she's only a legend anymore...**


	10. Chapter 10

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HEATHENVAMPIRES! :D**

 **. o O o .**

 **Undine - 10**

That night, neither Hiccup nor Eret got much sleep. After the first shock of realisation had calmed, they'd compared _what_ they'd seen, methodically but still slightly detached. It was just too surreal. The Undine, a literal mythical creature, was _real_. Even Hiccup, who hadn't dismissed the stories as legends quite as easily as Eret had, was stunned. There was a difference in _believing_ something might be real and _knowing_ that it was real, after all.

At some point, Eret opened his research file about the Undine on his laptop while Hiccup went to prepare them big mugs of tea and coffee respectively. He was sure that they would need it.

Hiccup had seen all these documents before, but he had to admit that they felt differently now, even though they still didn't tell them much.

"It makes no sense," Eret exclaimed after a while, frustrated. "Nothing of all this. So maybe the initial story was true and the beautiful woman that had been seen wandering through the night really was her."

Hiccup nodded, slowly and with his lips twitching. The woman – or Undine, or mermaid, or spirit, or whatever else they both had seen – definitely was beautiful, there was no denying that.

"That much might be true after all," Eret went on without a pause. "But the rest? _Maybe_ people are right and she really is something of a bad-luck-charm. But I don't think so, there's nothing connecting her with those petty events and I wouldn't say that we were cursed by bad luck since our arrival here, either."

Again, Hiccup nodded. "I agree. These stories _are_ nothing but fairy tales, people trying to explain away their own faults and mistakes or bad turns of fate. How could she even be responsible for those?"

Eret grunted and gave him a weird look. "Aye. Although, given that she _exists_ , we can't rule out anything just yet. Who knows, she might have some talent that influences people and cause such events if that's what she desires. Hel, she might even be able to wield actual _magic!"_

He threw up his hands in frustration, making HIccup cough to hide his grin. Eret didn't believe in magic whatsoever. For him to kind of considering its existence now was a _huge_ thing. "Yes, but we know she doesn't. She's not evil," he threw in to distract Eret.

But apparently, that hadn't been quite what he'd wanted to hear. Yes, he became calmer, but not in a good way. "Are you sure about that?" he asked in a low voice. "It's not as if we know _anything_ about her. Yes, she didn't hurt us. Yet. But what about the other story, the one Mrs Ingerman told us? The one about the dead boy?"

"But that's just another story, nothing to be taken seriously," Hiccup argued, frowning. How could Eret not see that? "She must have been here for _ages_ , _definitely_ since we moved here. And even though we live so close to the ocean and regularly went swimming, she never attacked us, never harmed us, never even willingly _showed_ herself to us. And when we spotted her, she fled, as if _she_ was afraid of _us_. How does that make sense when she's really as dangerous as Mrs Ingerman thinks?"

Eret looked troubled, and Hiccup felt sorry for having caused that in his boyfriend. He didn't want to _argue_ about this. But it was all just so weird, so confusing, and Eret's mood just made no sense to him.

Slowly, Eret shook his head, a deep frown on his face. "I don't know, Hiccup. But the fact remains, we don't know anything about her motives, her powers, Hel, we know _nothing_. All we can do is make assumptions, just like the people living here forever. And they all think she's dangerous. How can you trust her so easily?"

To that, Hiccup had nothing sensible to say. "I don't know," he mumbled. "I just do." He understood that those words wouldn't be able to convince Eret though. So he made another suggestion. "Look, how about this. We leave it for now and try to get some sleep. We're both too tired and agitated to think clearly anyway. And then we see how things look in the morning. Maybe we can make some tests, go swimming again and try to find her. We always stay together so nothing can happen," he added quickly when he saw how Eret wanted to object. "But before we can make a decision, we need to find out more. Do some researches."

Hiccup knew that Eret still wasn't entirely happy with this idea, but he obviously wasn't against letting the topic drop for now. "Okay. Let's see how things are in the morning."

 **. o O o .**

When Eret woke up in the morning, it was to the incredibly pleasant sensation of something hot licking and kissing away at his already half-hard cock. His needy groan in response must have been enough to tell Hiccup that he was awake, because just a moment later his ministrations gained a lot more purpose, a nimble tongue swirling around his glans before eager lips took him in and the sudden suction made him nearly arch off the bed.

Eret greatly enjoyed waking up like this, squirming beneath Hiccup's skilled mouth as he took him down his throat, the tight muscles clenching when he swallowed around him nearly his undoing. He moaned and trembled at the exquisite sensations, ready to burst in an almost ridiculous short time. Hiccup was just too good at this. It only took a few minutes, then he came with a guttural groan, Hiccup swallowing him down nearly too much for his sensitive nerves. He lay still, panting, when Hiccup pulled back, a teasing spark in his eyes, and crawled back up Eret's body, placing playful bite-kisses on his nipples before claiming his mouth in a deep kiss.

Neither of them ever minded tasting themselves on each others' tongues, so Eret responded without hesitation, pulled his boyfriend into his broader arms and held him close, one hand roaming down to find Hiccup half hard already. After years into their relationship, they knew each other so well, giving Eret a fairly good idea of what Hiccup was up to. With one hand, he felt for the lube they kept near the bed, the other roaming down Hiccup's back and over his firm ass, testingly brushing a finger over his hole. As expected, Hiccup let out a wanton moan and bucked against him, his eyes full of desire as they met his. Grinning, Eret rolled them around until Hiccup lay beneath him, then resumed kissing him as he slowly pushed generously lubed fingers inside him.

Hiccup wasn't always in the mood for prostate stimulation, but when he was he went all out. The first brush against those sensitive nerves made him moan and shudder, the next whimper and arch. Eret greatly enjoyed the show as he worked him open, Hiccup's hands clenching at the sheets in no time, his knuckles standing out white. His cock was throbbing, bobbing to beg for attention and leaking one pearly white bead of precome after the other. He had his teeth gritted to keep himself from begging for release or right out screaming, and the cords in his neck were so tight that Eret couldn't resist sucking a harsh bruise over them.

"Fuck, that's – Aah – that's enough, Ret," Hiccup gasped in a short moment of control, weakly pushing at his arm and wriggling around until he had one leg on each side of Eret's hips.

Eret nearly laughed at his eagerness and the impossible combination of innocent wide eyes and a seductive smirk on Hiccup's face. Gods, how he loved this idiot! Slowly to tease his boyfriend a little more, he reached for more lube and spread it over his cock. Fingering Hiccup had been enough to make him hard again as well, and he only needed a few more strokes to ensure he was ready.

"C' mon!" Hiccup pleaded impatiently, squirming and bucking to make his point. Eret might have drawn it out a little longer, but he was just as eager, pushing Hiccup's legs up a little and positioning his cock at his ass, hissing at the contact.

"You ready?" he panted, blinking to get himself to focus again. Amidst their eagerness, it would be all too easy to hurt Hiccup, which was something he wanted to avoid at any costs. No amount of pleasure was worth that form of discomfort. But Hiccup just gave an impatient whine and nodded, twitching to make him move.

Pushing in slowly so as to not overwhelm either of them drew stretched moans from them both. Eret shuddered at the heat wrapping around his cock, at the rippling muscles that seemed to suck him in even deeper. Involuntarily, his hips bucked forward, sinking deeper into that hot little ass and apparently hitting Hiccup's prostate right on as he gave a chocked cry.

"M-more," he moaned. "Fuck, Ret, more. _Please!"_

Eret's mouth stretched into a grin. As calm and composed, timid even, as Hiccup usually came across, he really was surprisingly wild when it came to sex. _It's always the quiet ones…_ he mused, then settled more firmly, kneeling between Hiccup's legs and holding him by the hips, and began to move for real.

He started with measured, slow strokes only, but very soon picked up speed and strength, lengthening his thrusts until he fucked his needy boyfriend with abandon. Fuck, that was good! Precome and lube made the slide easy, clenching muscles sucking at his throbbing length until he could think of barely anything but the pleasure surging through him, pooling low in his belly.

But not yet. Eret fought to hold back, to last as long as he could. Hiccup's cock stood proudly between them, throbbing and leaking, begging to get touched. But neither of them did; it was how Hiccup preferred it. It always took a little longer for him to come just from this, certainly longer than Eret who took Hiccup's cock more regularly, but the foreplay had been a good start and the show was always worth it.

Hiccup twisted and arched, cried and sobbed in his growing need for release. Eret was jabbing at his prostate without a moment's break now, thrusting into his boyfriends' lithe frame with all his strength, knowing that he could take it. Eret's grip became tighter when he felt his own climax closing in again, but he fought to hold out as long as he could, knowing that Hiccup was close. Just a little more, just a few more thrusts, just–

"Oh, _FUUUCK!"_

Hiccup howled, body convulsing as pleasure surged through him, making a mess of his stomach and the bed around them. His hands were tearing at the sheets, his muscles tensing, clutching him tightly, and Eret couldn't hold back any longer either. With a low grunt, he succumbed to the sensation and the amazing sight in front of him, his hips shuddering, pressing in close.

After a quick clean-up, Eret dropped next to a pretty much boneless Hiccup, his typical lopsided grin even wider than usual. "Damn, that was fantastic," he hummed as he draped a lazy arm over freckled skin. "Good morning, by the way."

Hiccup chuckled weakly. "Yeah, was pretty good, I'd say." Then he turned a little to better snuggle into Eret's embrace. "I love you. You know that, right?"

Smiling, Eret leaned in and brushed his lips over Hiccup's temple. "Yeah. Love you too."

They stayed like that for nearly an hour, lazily cuddling, exchanging kisses, and simply enjoying their closeness. But eventually, they'd both recovered enough to get up, the need for breakfast and the bathroom growing too strong. It really was a perfect morning – until they changed the soiled sheets of their bed.

"So, what are we going to do today? Have you thought about my suggestion from last night?" Hiccup asked, pretty much out of the blue.

At first, Eret wasn't sure what he meant, but when he looked up to find Hiccup suspiciously innocently focussing on redecorating the cushions, it dawned on him. He'd _nearly_ forgotten the incident of the previous day, but now it all came back to him. The face of the Undine as she floated right below him through the water. And then seeing that same face again on Hiccup's painting, gazing at him with that same mysterious expression. And the question what do now, now that they _knew_.

"You mean looking for her? Trying to find out more about her?"

Hiccup nodded and looked at him expectantly.

With a sigh, Eret let his hands run through his hair. He wasn't sure what to think, what to _expect_. He'd heard Hiccup's reasoning about how she hadn't done them any harm even though she certainly had the opportunity in the past. And it wasn't that he actually _believed_ her to pose a threat to them. But there was still the story about the dead boy, and somehow he felt that there was more to that story than just another fairytale where people blamed a common tragedy on a local myth.

And just _casually thinking_ about something like an Undine as something _real_ gave him a headache. Yes, they had proof, sort of. But his mind still refused to believe it.

"Okay, let's see if we can find her," he eventually gave in, smiling at Hiccup's eagerness but not expecting something to come of it. Unless she showed herself to them again, longer and more clearly, maybe even _interacted_ with them, they wouldn't get any solid information. And given how quickly she'd disappeared both times one of them had spotted her… well, Eret highly doubted they would even get so much as a glimpse at her.

And as it turned out, he'd been right. They spend nearly half the day in and around the ocean, swimming out to the rock formation and diving below the surface. But no matter how hard or for how long they looked, they couldn't find anything. The ocean was just the ocean, rocks only rocks, and fish only fish.

Eret could sense that Hiccup was disappointed by their lack of results, but he still marked the day as a success. Even with them now knowing about her existence, she hadn't harmed them in any way. There was no need for secrecy anymore, except that she probably was indifferent if not actually afraid of them. Eret let that assumption slide, not in the mood to argue again. The day had been a good one, all things considered, and it felt good to simply sink into their fresh sheets, exhausted by the long day out and more than happy to have each other for extended cuddling.

One thing was for sure though: No matter how much he _wanted_ to simply drop the entire topic, Eret knew that he wouldn't be able to do that. For quite some years now, he'd researched myths and legends, never even considering they might be true. Now, he couldn't help but feel differently, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to rest until he'd found out more.

 **. o O o .**

Far out in the ocean, the creature was hiding, deep down below the surface where she was sure that no human could ever find her.

And she was scared.

What would happen now that they had seen her? What would that mean? She knew that she wasn't supposed to interact with humans, ever, but she didn't know why or what the consequences would be.

For the rest of the day and all night, she stayed there, brooding and wondering and pondering what to do now. Was there even something she _could_ do? She already knew that she physically couldn't stay away, but she also couldn't get that close again, couldn't risk them seeing her again, or… or _something_ would happen. It was so confusing, so frustrating; being ruled by this vague knowledge without knowing _why._

In the morning, she already felt the need to swim back again, could hardly resist the lure. But when she felt them in the water later that next day, even over this distance, staying away became impossible.

 _Just a little bit closer_ , she told herself. _Just enough so I can watch them from afar._

The moment her eyes found them, she felt as if a strong current that had been pulling at her without her noticing had suddenly set her free; She felt so light, so relieved. Her cool lips twitched into a smile as she watched them swimming around and diving to the ocean's ground. She wanted to get closer again, to swim around them, playing, pretending. But she didn't dare to do it. _This is close enough_ , she decided, settling amidst a field of seagrass, just close enough to make out their forms amidst the waves in the distance, and quietly hummed to herself.

It felt like hours before they left the water for good, hours that seemed to fly by in the blink of an eye. And they weren't enough. When the night came, she settled back on her rock near the coast, watching the little construction with its warm light, and felt the full impact of her situation.

She was trapped. She couldn't go back and leave but she also couldn't go further, closer. All she could do was keep this safe distance, watching but never getting closer, until they wouldn't be here anymore. The thought made despair rise inside her, made her keen helplessly. That wouldn't be enough, couldn't be enough, she couldn't resist the longing for that long, already felt how it grew stronger and stronger. She wanted to get closer, to see, to learn, to _feel_.

But it was too dangerous.

She had no choice.

She was trapped…

 **. o O o .  
**

 **Okay, so this chapter didn't turn out as planned. There were so many things supposed to happen and even my rough keywords already were longer than 1500 words. But then, everything came differently.**

 **The boys, mostly Hiccup, became incredibly horny and insisted on the smut. That wasn't even planned. But you know how characters are; they can never behave! So this happened, and I call this chapter quits here. More to happen in the next then...**

 **Hope it was still bearable.**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Woohooow, a new chapter! Only took over three months to get it done... And that's with me having been SO eager for this chapter! Did you see that there's a new cover picture for this story? I drew this over half a year ago! And since then, it's been waiting for this moment. xD  
**

 **. o O o .**

Wide.

Wide and beautiful.

That was all he could think about as he gazed out over the ocean. So magnificent and alluring, as if it would hug him and keep him warm as soon as he stepped into the water. The longing was overwhelming, and he couldn't quite figure out why he wasn't doing those last steps, why he stayed where he was.

So wide...

So beautiful...

So tempting...

"Hey, love. Did you zone out again?"

Eret flinched and, blinking to clear his mind of the foggy sensation that always followed one of these episodes, gazed at Hiccup and his godsdamned smirk next to him.

"Uh," he grunted, shaking his head after Hiccup had stretched to give him a light kiss in greeting. "You're back?"

Chuckling, Hiccup nodded. "Yeah. I'm sorry, talking to that one customer took a little longer than planned. But I still got all the shopping done; we should be good for a week or so now."

Eret nodded, silently accepting the fact that he must have lost _hours_ again. Hadn't Hiccup left only minutes ago? Once back in their kitchen, he sat down and watched quietly as his boyfriend prepared dinner for them both, steak and a fresh salad to go with it.

"So, did you find out anything new?" Hiccup asked after they'd both eaten up, leaning back in his chair with a satisfied smile.

Eret shook his head. "No, not really. I... well, I didn't have time. I think I didn't even get to sit down and open my notes this time." This was so frustrating. So many hours of possible working time – all lost.

"Well, I'm glad you're taking the Undine serious now," Hiccup went on, carefree and relaxed. "But after she apparently enchanted you _again_ today, I'd say there's at least one thing we can be absolutely sure of."

Eret cocked his head, even though he could already guess where Hiccup was going with this.

"She really is no threat to us."

Eret nodded, though reluctantly. It seemed as if Hiccup was right. Glancing at the picture Hiccup had drawn and that stood in a corner of the room, he tried to sum it all up for himself.

It was two weeks now since he and Hiccup had both seen the Undine. They hadn't spotted her again since then, but the fact that they'd both seen the same face was proof enough. But proof enough of what?

That she was real? Probably.

But did that also mean that she didn't mean to harm them? Maybe Hiccup was right and she really posed no threat. But what did that _mean_ for them? Of course, they could just go on like before, happy with the knowledge that a literal living legend resided in the ocean next to their home.

But how _bizarre_ that fact alone was aside, all these episodes of one of them getting drawn to the ocean and basically becoming unconscious for hours... they bothered Eret. Yeah, nothing _bad_ had ever happened. Yet. But they were disturbing nonetheless – because they were getting more frequent! Lately, barely a day passed without one of them ending up outside and gazing at the ocean as if it was all that mattered. And Eret just wasn't sure what to think about that.

Because, surely, those were connected to the Undine, right? They _had_ to be, even though he couldn't say why or how. It felt like too much of a coincidence that there could be two unexplainable phenomena at work here. And wasn't it part of the legends about undines, mermaids, and the like that they were able to lure humans into the water and into their death? It wasn't that he _really_ feared this creature wanted to harm them… But he couldn't entirely accept her being harmless either.

"Maybe you're right," he evaded giving Hiccup a direct and possibly controversial answer. They'd discussed it often enough lately, and without any further _proof_ of any sort, their different opinions on this matter wouldn't change. They agreed to disagree, and that was enough for now.

"Still, I'd like to go through my notes again tonight, since I didn't get the chance to do so earlier. Look up all the legends that mention sirens luring people in with their song and such."

Hiccup shook his head at that, but chuckled and smiled fondly. "If that's what you have to do to find your peace of mind…"

 **. o O o .**

For a while, Hiccup simply watched Eret as he stared at his screen, ruffled through pages in his books, and typed some new notes into one of his documents. He was adorable like this, biting his lip and with this tiny crease between his eyes when he was entirely focused on his work like this. And the fact that he was taking the Undine and her existence more serious now wasn't exactly off-putting either.

And it wasn't as if Hiccup didn't _understand_ why Eret insisted on gathering as much information as possible. Odin, he wasn't much better if he thought about it. It was just that Hiccup didn't believe some old legends, myths, or fairy tales could really tell them what all this was about. Mrs Ingerman might be their best option, but with how vigorously she'd been in her bad opinion about the Undine, Hiccup didn't feel like bringing her up as a source of information. He couldn't say why, but he just _knew_ that the Undine wasn't here to harm them.

If only they'd seen her again, maybe even had gotten the chance to interact with her. _That_ would certainly have taught them more about her and her motives. But she hadn't shown herself to them again, no matter how determinedly they'd looked, and by now, Hiccup wasn't putting much hope into finding her anymore either. She was probably still around, but as long as she was hiding so sufficiently, nothing would change.

Sighing, he watched Eret for another minute or three before he got up to clear the table and clean the kitchen. Or… that was what he'd _meant_ to do.

He couldn't even say when exactly it happened, whether it was right after he entered the kitchen or whether he at least started washing the dishes. All he remembered was that he suddenly felt too warm, the air around him too stuffy, and that he decided to go outside and get some fresh air instead.

It was a lovely evening, the sun just about to set. The air was still relatively warm with only a light breeze blowing over from the ocean. His eyes settled on the glistening surface, smiling as the faint thought of drawing this one day came to his mind. But only a heartbeat later, it was gone again, along with pretty much every other thought in his head.

He took a deep breath but it still felt stuffy somehow. Maybe the air would be cooler closer to the water? Hiccup made an unconscious step toward the water, then another. And another. The closer he got to the ocean the lighter he felt, his smile getting wider, his eyes brighter.

On and on he walked…

 **. o O o .**

With a heavy sigh, Eret stretched, the muscles in his back complaining at the lack of change in posture. He shushed them though, far more frustrated by the lack of progress in his research. There were so many stories, but none of them fit the case of _their_ Undine. Nearly everywhere, the siren or mermaid was described as an evil monster which lured men in on purpose, direct and almost aggressive in their behaviour. And none of that fit to their Undine, he had to give Hiccup that much.

And… where was he anyway?

"Hiccup?" Eret called, surprised that he wasn't sitting on the couch anymore. When had he left? He got up, stretched some more, and then went in search of his elusive boyfriend. He had enough of all those frustrating thoughts and dearly preferred cuddles over pretty much anything right now.

However, it quickly became apparent that he wasn't inside the cottage anymore, and with a slight uneasiness, Eret stepped out the backdoor, expecting Hiccup to have gotten lost in the view, too. But he was nowhere to be seen, and somehow, that made it even worse. Calling his name again, Eret jogged around the house to check on their car, but it was still where it was supposed to be; Hiccup hadn't driven off for whatever reason. His uneasiness grew as he ran a hand through his hair, looking around the wide-open landscape as if he expected to spot Hiccup there somewhere; which, of course, he didn't.

"Hiccup, this isn't funny anymore," he called, louder, but there was still no response. "Dammit!" he cursed under his breath, jogging back to the other side of the house. Reluctantly, his gaze landed on the ocean but he found that, for once, its allure was gone. Or maybe his worries for Hiccup were just overshadowing it. Slowly, practically against his will, he walked closer to the small stony cliff that separated the higher field of grass from the water.

And prayed with all his heart that he wouldn't find what he _feared_ to find.

 **. o O o .**

With her incorporeal arms soothingly wrapped around herself, the creature sat at the foot of her usual rock, deep below the ocean's surface. As so often lately, she was quietly humming to herself, the only thing that seemed able to keep the loneliness at bay – a little bit at least.

She felt raw inside, torn between the urge to watch her humans whenever possible and to keep this safe distance at any cost. It wasn't working. She could feel it, how her determination crumbled. It was only a matter of time before she would give in and go back, would risk… whatever could happen to her if she got involved with humans.

But whatever it was, it couldn't be worse than this hopeless longing for something she didn't even know. And she was certain that, to a degree, they had to feel it, too. When she felt the worst, almost ready to give up existing, more often than not one of them appeared outside, barely moving and just watching the waves, just like she liked to do, too. It was odd, but it made her feel connected to them. As if they specifically came for her, to keep her company. As if her loneliness had called them.

And it was getting worse.

She'd already spent part of this day _with the bigger one_ as she called it. But where she'd been content with doing so every couple of days, she now already missed them again. How was she supposed to _cope?_

Her cold heart skipped a painful beat when she felt it – one of them was close again. Not close enough to find her, but inside the water. Even over the distance, she thought she could feel the warmth he radiated, making her whimper. Resisting was so _hard._

 _Impossibly_ hard even.

With something like a soft cry, she gave in to the overpowering force that drew her toward them, floating close enough to spot him near the surface. It was the smaller one, and just seeing him made her feel lighter inside. Hopefully, this tiny bit of closeness would be enough to give her the strength to keep her distance a little longer.

But then she saw it. Something was… _off_.

Usually, the humans took off their additional skins when they entered the water, or most of them at least. And it made sense, she thought as she watched her human struggle. All those skins made it apparently difficult to move. Worried, she watched him more closely. He appeared to have problems with staying at the surface, as if the wet skins were dragging him down against his will.

It didn't look good.

 _Not at all!_

She didn't hesitate for even one second longer. From one moment to the other, she didn't care about _consequences_ anymore. Within a few heartbeats, she was at his side, her body condensing into a more solid form to hold him and lift him back up to the surface. He instantly gasped for air, arms and legs flinging around wildly. His eyes were open but equally wild so she couldn't be sure whether he even noticed her or not. She hoped he didn't.

She also hoped that lifting him back up here was enough, that she could go right back into hiding now. But as soon as she let go of him, he sank down again, helpless against the waves and the weight of his soaked skins. Whining in distress but without thinking twice about it, the creature wrapped her arms around her human again and slowly dragged him back toward the shore. It was difficult, her body not used to such exertion, and she had to pause several times, gathering her strength and holding him up almost more than she could manage.

He'd stopped struggling by now which made it easier but also worried her. Terrestrial beings needed to breathe, didn't they? Was he still breathing? She wasn't sure but she also had no way of making sure. So she put in more effort to get him back to the shore and even managed to drag him onto solid ground, even though she barely remembered how.

Frantically, she looked him over, unsure of what to do now. He still wasn't moving. But before she even had one moment to think about what to do now, she heard the sounds; footsteps rustling through the grass above her and the weird but distinct noises humans made. The other one was coming here and quickly. That was good. He would know what to do with this one.

With two quick jumps, she was back in the water, diving in head-first and disappearing between the waves.

 **. o O o .**

When Eret reached the cliff, heart hammering in his chest, he froze when he found _exactly_ what he'd feared. Hiccup lay on the rocky ground below, pale and unmoving, his clothes and hair dripping wet.

"Oh, FUCK!" he cursed, hastily climbing down to his _hopefully_ just unconscious boyfriend. In the back of his mind, a voice was ranting about how Hiccup had been wrong, about how the Undine had lured him into death after all. But Eret determinedly shut it out. Now was not the time.

Instead, he quickly scanned his body for any visible wounds, relieved when he couldn't find any, and directly went over to reanimation. They'd taken courses before moving to the seaside, but never in his life had Eret imagined he'd one day have to use it on _Hiccup._

"Come on, Hic," he gasped in-between. "Don't do this to me."

To Eret, it felt as if a small eternity passed as he alternately pressed down on Hiccup's chest and blew air into his lungs. But in reality, it probably took far less than a minute until Hiccup reacted, coughing up water as his body convulsed.

"Oh, thank Odin," Eret gasped as Hiccup regained at least _some_ consciousness. He was groaning, his hands fluttering up in search of _something_ , and Eret caught them eagerly, reassuring him that he was safe now. "You scared me there for a moment, do you know that? Don't ever do that to me again!" He was only babbling, really, too scared and relieved and shocked to make any sense. And it wasn't as if Hiccup was all that perceptive right now anyway.

For a while, Eret just held Hiccup. He had both arms wrapped around him, slowly rocking him back and forth and giving Hiccup time to recover and regain his senses. At first, all Hiccup did was groan and cough, but after a minute or three, he apparently found his voice again.

"She was there," he croaked, followed by renewed coughing. "I saw her. _Felt_ her. The Undine."

Eret's fingers around Hiccup's shoulder twitched as he helped him back onto his feet. Somehow, he wasn't surprised the Undine was involved in this incident. "Yeah, I guessed so. Maybe you believe me now that she's dangerous. All these legends about her kind luring men into death – they can't _all_ be wrong!"

Getting Hiccup up the rocky cliff wasn't easy but eventually, they managed. Once they were back on grassy ground, Hiccup shook his head though. "No, you don't understand," he insisted, his voice still hoarse but urgent. "She… she was _helping_ me. Dragged me to the surface and the shore. She _rescued_ me, Eret! She's not evil, not–"

Hiccup broke off, coughing again, and nearly fell when he dizzily stumbled to the side. Eret caught him quickly, his arms firmly around him again as he led him to their home. He wanted to argue against Hiccup's words, how that didn't explain why he'd ended up in the water in the first place, for example. But instead, he just pressed his lips together, forcing himself to stay quiet. They would get the time to discuss this, but not now. Not, getting Hiccup inside to warm him up and let him rest was more important.

"Whatever. But come on now, we have to get you out of these wet clothes." Usually, a comment like that would have drawn a smirk from Hiccup's lips and probably a comment about if Eret wanted to see him naked he only had to ask.

But today, none of that happened. All Hiccup did was nod mutely, his eyes weirdly dazed and empty.

 **. o O o .**

The creature didn't get far before she paused and turned back to look at the shore. Too big was her apprehension for the human's health; she _had_ to know how he was doing and hiding deep in the ocean and out of sight was out of the question right now. Anxiously, she watched as the bigger one took care of him, for once not caring whether anyone might spot her head between the waves.

 _Please, oh, please. Let him live!_ , she thought, desperately. Usually, the life of humans didn't matter to her, but after all these weeks, she didn't want to lose them.

The relief she felt when the smaller one moved again was beyond anything she'd felt before. Her heart was flowing over with lightness, unable to contain her emotions any longer, and there was an odd stinging in her eyes, more wetness than usual on her cheeks.

He was alive. As stupid as her thoughtless reflex to help him might have been, it hadn't been for nothing. He was alive, and everything else was secondary to that.

However, as she watched them retreat into their construction, something else came up in her mind. The happiness and relief from before got accompanied by the returning longing as they walked away from her, but that wasn't something new. No, what was new was the sense of dread she felt. As if it had been _her_ fault that he'd almost drowned in the first place.

But that was ridiculous… wasn't it?

With blank eyes she watched them as they disappeared out of sight, inwardly fighting against the voice inside her head. What if she'd been right before? What if she wasn't the only one feeling that strange pull toward these humans? What if, somehow, her presence affected them just like theirs did her?

Was she responsible for him almost drowning?

As often as thinking about them had elicited some strange warmth inside her before, all she felt now was a weird coldness instead. She couldn't even explain it to herself, but she just _knew_ that she'd been right. Them spending more time outside where she could see them lately was somehow because of her, because they felt the same yearning she did. And it had almost killed one of them.

Throughout the entire night, the creature stayed close to the shore, closer than she'd dared to in a long time, watching the building even after the lights had gone out. Something like today wouldn't happen again. She wouldn't _let_ it happen again.

For hours, she pondered even though, deep down, she already knew what she had to do. Her only option. Leaving was impossible, she'd tried that already. She'd thought that staying just close enough to watch them would be enough, but the past weeks had been anything but easy on her – and obviously, it wasn't a real solution anyway, not when it put them at risk. So what option was left to her? She knew that she wasn't allowed to interact, that it could have deadly consequences if she did. But apparently, that was true for _not_ interacting, too.

Yeah, she already knew what she had to do, but she still needed the hours until dawn to gather her courage. Above her, the sky was already turning grey and orange as she got closer and closer to the water's edge. Once, the sensation of skin forming around her, of confining her, had put her off enough to throw herself back into the ocean, but today, it felt like little more than an unimportant inconvenience. Earlier, when she'd dragged the human onto solid ground, it hadn't bothered her either, hadn't even registered in her mind, and ignoring it now was almost _easy_.

Once her feet touched nothing but sand and rocks and her legs had gotten accustomed to carrying her weight, her gaze locked on the small construction further up on the headland. Slowly, she took one step up the rocky ground, her eyes never leaving her goal. Before she knew it, she felt grass beneath her bare feet, such a weird and unfamiliar sensation, but even that wasn't able to distract her from taking another step.

And another.

And another...

 **. o O o .**

 **Uh Oh... I wonder how that's going to work out... O:)**


End file.
